Not only is Minneapolis the most bike friendly city in the US, next to Seattle, but we also have the largest bike sharing program in the United States, period.  There are over 75 kiosks that distribute over 1,000 bikes. You can ride in one of the numerous bike lanes downtown to many of the destinations we have listed here. You can also hop on the lightrail with your bike, if you'd like an expedited (and slightly less exhausting) way to arrive at your next destination.  Because of the sliding scale in price, if you are using your bikes just to get around, I would hop from one kiosk to another, locking up the bikes each time at each new destination to avoid paying for any extra time that you're not actually ON the bike.

Even better, though, than simply using this bike share program for commuter purposes during your visit (ESPECIALLY if you're a nature lover), would be to cycle around the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway. Over 50 miles long, the byway connects 7 distinct districts, which each highlight different landscape characteristics and cultural resources. There is the Downtown Riverfront, The Mississippi River, Minnehaha Falls, the Chain of Lakes, Theodore Wirth (where we almost got married!), Victory Memorial, and Northeast Minneapolis.

The Light Rail is fast, easy, and very straightforward to use.  It runs from both airport terminals, to the Mall of America, then through South Minneapolis, Downtown, and finally stops at the Target Field (Twins' baseball stadium).  You can bring your bike on with you if you're doing the bike share program, and they run at least every 15 minutes until midnight or 2am.  All in all, it's a GREAT way to get around Minneapolis, but, at the moment, they don't have a line connecting the two cities.  So, if you want to get over to Saint Paul, you'll have to cab it, bus it, or drive it. :)

Light Rail Rates, Schedule, and Route

Ok, we're sure you've all ridden the bus at some point in your life, so we're really not going to go into all the benefits and downfalls of this particular mode of public transport.  However, our favorite part of the bus system here is the trip planner.  You can type in your starting address, desired time of departure or arrival, then your destination address, and it will spit out for you the bus you need, where/when it stops and how long it will take you to get there!  It is seriously the best.

For those who would like to do it the old fashioned way:
Bus Map and Schedule
Cost: ~$1.75, and you receive a 2 hour transfer